A Warm and Polished Headshot Session with Photographer Erica Hilliard
There is something uniquely special about photographing another photographer, especially someone I have known and admired for nearly ten years. Erica is a talent documentarian with a photojournalistic approach to wedding days, and she brings a calm, intentional presence to every story she tells. Any time a photographer I deeply respect chooses to stand on the other side of my camera, it feels like an honor. This session at Opya Studios in Pittsburgh was no exception.
Erica reached out with a clear vision for her branding and headshot session. She wanted to look polished and professional while still feeling joyful, warm, and friendly. Her Pinterest inspiration leaned into waist-up portraits, candid laughing photos, black and white edits, and an overall approachable vibe. The goal was to create images that felt true to her personality while also matching the visual identity of her brand.
We planned two looks that would photograph beautifully in the studio; the first centered on her brand colors of orange cream and gray, which added softness and cohesion to the images. The second was a satin blouse paired with gray pants, a more elevated, refined version of her style that still aligned with her brand palette. Both outfits worked effortlessly in the clean and minimal environment of Opya Studios.
Because she wanted a polished yet approachable style, I used a top lighting setup with a reflector to bounce light back onto her face. This created a modified clamshell effect that gave her portraits a gentle editorial look while staying soft and flattering. Makeup by Jae Lee Paredes enhanced the overall glow of the images without ever overpowering Erica’s natural warmth. The lighting, the styling, and the vibe came together in a way that felt modern and effortless, and most importantly, authentic to her.
After delivering her gallery, Erica shared the kind of feedback that makes this work so rewarding. She said,
“From a client perspective, I expected to get a few portraits where I was looking at camera when I didn’t have a frozen fake smile but also not too much of a crazy smile but there are a LOT like that and I’m soooo happy with them. I’m so glad we did this because you nailed it and I have so many bangers to choose from.
From a photographer perspective, I really love the lighting and the way that the 3 sets are all really different from each other.”
Hearing both the client side and the photographer side was such a beautiful confirmation that the session accomplished exactly what she hoped!
Branding and headshot sessions like this are designed to show the heart behind a creative business. For photographers, having images that feel warm, trustworthy, and visually aligned with your brand is incredibly powerful. This session at Opya Studios was the perfect blend of professionalism and personality, and I am grateful that Erica trusted me to capture her in the way she deserves to be seen!
If you are ready to refresh your brand portraits or create a studio session that feels like you in your best light, I would love to collaborate with you.